VC certificate is expensive but goes beyond what Patek offers

Feb 28, 2010,13:49 PM
 

I recently had a VC perpetual calendar certified. If I'm not wrong it cost me around 1200 Euros (aprox 1600 USD). I had to send the watch to VC, and it came back with a small booklet that included photographs of the actual watch, model, ref. etc. and the comment that it had been inspected by VC and found to be ok. This certificate is excellent and other brands should copy it. But I agree that it is too expensive for watches under 5000 USD. A "certificate" like the one that Patek issues (the famous extract of the archives) could be useful for this type of watches, but please keep the other one for the over 5000 USD watches category.

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Buyer beware!

 
 By: WHL : February 23rd, 2010-09:38
The modern watch world is not immune to fake watches: where ever a buck is to be made, someone is going to try to make it, and faking rare vintage watches (beyond Rolex) is now not uncommon. Yesterday a Patrizzi Auction catalog arrived on my porch and I w... 

yikes! good eye, I agree with you that a certificate of authenticity should be the

 
 By: alex : February 23rd, 2010-09:56
minimum requirement whan buying vintage!

Great catch, Bill

 
 By: Tick Talk : February 23rd, 2010-12:53
Wow, just shows that even the auction house "experts" can be fooled. Thanks for outing this example, lets hope Patrizzi does the right thing and pulls the offending item. Hey Alex, with the cost of a C of A, it just isn't a realistic expectation for piece... 

I totally agree with you...

 
 By: Berny : February 23rd, 2010-14:21
...and by the way this is frightening from Patrizzi. He had so many vintage V&C to sell those last monthes... Berny

I thhik Vc and auction houses should reach some kind of agreement where each VC

 
 By: alex : February 23rd, 2010-14:26
offered for sale is accompagnied by a COA, the buyer would not ave anything extr to pay but the fact that a COA exists wouls surley increase the price of the hammer price anyway

VC certificate is expensive but goes beyond what Patek offers

 
 By: Talleyrand : February 28th, 2010-13:49
I recently had a VC perpetual calendar certified. If I'm not wrong it cost me around 1200 Euros (aprox 1600 USD). I had to send the watch to VC, and it came back with a small booklet that included photographs of the actual watch, model, ref. etc. and the ... 

A VC Perpetual??

 
 By: sanro : March 4th, 2010-16:56
That is another one you need to show me Agustín!! ;-)

Thanks for the warning, and must I add that I'm very surprised

 
 By: amanico : February 23rd, 2010-14:25
To see such .... in auction? Strange... Best, Nicolas

I agree, its really shocking this type of franken got to the auction catalog

 
 By: dshao1 : February 23rd, 2010-21:52
Great catch and very astute eye Bill! I see gilt movements on vintage pocket watches, but a wristwatch would be unusual - as I understand the gilting process was stopped before most wristwatches were made. C of As are expensive, but I don't really see a w... 

Amazing catch, Bill!

 
 By: dxboon : February 23rd, 2010-22:52
It's fairly jaw-dropping that this kind of thing was about to be auctioned off as an intact, correct vintage VC. You are great to warn others, and remind us once again -- caveat emptor . Cheers, Daos

I left a message with someone at Patrizzi....

 
 By: WHL : February 24th, 2010-08:24
with the same information I provided in the post. We'll have to see how they handle this. Bill

I'm curious to know how they respond...

 
 By: patrick_y : February 24th, 2010-22:36
Please tell us whatever you can comfortably tell us about the response from Patrizzi. I am curious to see what Patrizzi does. When a bidder intends to buy something from a reputable auction house, that bidder expects the final item to be genuine and free ... 

Remember: Auction house is selling for someone

 
 By: Robert Carrigan : February 25th, 2010-04:06
Bill, Thanks for the excellent analysis. Unfortunately, the auction houses sell watches for people who wish to divest themselves of a particular watch. I would have to assume that the consignor (person selling) would have known the dubious nature of the w... 

A few years ago...

 
 By: amanico : February 25th, 2010-14:48
We had this kind of post on TZ French, it was about some Vintage and Pre Vendome Panerais... On around 10 watches, 7 were fake... Antiquorum removed them from the auction. Best, Nicolas

Thanks Bill. [nt]

 
 By: CaliforniaJed : February 24th, 2010-20:44
No message body

Never really trusted those auction experts...

 
 By: patrick_y : February 24th, 2010-22:30
Can't ever trust an auction expert 100% of the time, after all, they're human, and all humans are prone to mistakes. Thanks for the catch!